


Denial

by Vexicle



Category: Original Work
Genre: Drabbles, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 04:09:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13426509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vexicle/pseuds/Vexicle
Summary: The football team wonders just what is up with their captain lately.





	Denial

“Aquilo motherfucking Hall,” Ferris says flatly.

“That's not his middle name.” Lynette giggles as she carries her food tray over to their restaurant table. Ferris’s hand shoots up to grab one of her fries nonchalantly. The brunette utters an indignant “Hey!” but sits down at their wooden table anyway.

“Beef will cause cancer,” Ferris jokes.

Lynette sticks her tongue out and begins to dig into her steak. Ferris sighs, flipping his phone around to show her the screen. He points at it agitatedly and the brunette leans in to see what he's raving about.

**FerrisWheel:** Yo bro our dumbass teammates were talking shit about their (lack of) love life  
**FerrisWheel:** I have been sent to find out  
**FerrisWheel:** Aquilol do you wanna fuck Cheery  
**Aquilo:** Spell our names properly you arse  
**Aquilo:** Also what the hell we haven't even dated yet. You can't fuck someone you haven't dated yet! That's not how it works!!  
**Aquilo:** uh  
**Aquilo:** NOT THAT I WANT TO DATE HER SHES A IDIOT AND IS HAZARDOUS TO MY HEALTH AND SHED TRIP ALL OVER HERSELF

Lynette sniggers through a mouthful of beef. The blond’s rant is so long it _cuts off at the bottom._ Raising her eyebrows at Aquilo's remark, she says, “He's way too naive. What else is new?” 

Ferris rolls his eyes. “He didn't even see through my obviously fake cover story. This girl _does_ something to him.” The black-haired teen sighs and steals more of Lynette’s fries. 

She makes a face at him. “Get your own!” Ferris sticks his tongue back in retaliation. At least, until he chokes on his food, laughing and spluttering. Lynette leans over eagerly, smirking when she catches sight of Aquilo’s incensed tirade.

**FerrisWheel:** Aha I knew it so basically you DO want to fuck her  
**Aquilo:** What??  
**Aquilo:** No it's not like that!  
**Aquilo:** it's um it's just um  
**Aquilo:** uh  
**Aquilo:** fuxkitfo frget it i habe to go

Lynette laughs out loud and bangs the table, earning her a few dirty looks from the passing waiters. “Dude, ask if him he's going to fap.”

Ferris grins cheekily. “No way, I bet he's gonna freak out even more. I can picture him right now.” He presses his brows down with his fingers and scowls overexaggeratedly. “How dare that fucking Ferris type all of that bullshit!” Ferris hisses, trying his best to mimic Aquilo’s deep drawl. He can't quite copy his faint Australian accent though, and Ferris frowns. “Maaaate,” he tries saying.

Lynette rolls her eyes affectionately. “You sound nothing like him.”

“Puberty is a bitch,” Ferris moans, flopping face down on the wooden surface. Lynette smiles, petting his shoulder comfortingly.

.

Leonard is yanked off the field unceremoniously with the half-deflated football in his hands. “H-hey!” he protests, freeing one hand to smack the offender. He hears an indignant cry and he's released from the strong hold. He whips around to frown at the perpetrator. Ferris is rubbing his head, and he looks up sheepishly as Leonard’s brown eyes narrow.

“Care to explain?” Leonard asks, his tone stern even as his mouth twitches in amusement.

Ferris rolls his eyes. “As official vice-captain, I order you to stop kicking that fucking monochrome banana around and join the rest for their showers.”

“That isn't a legit position and you know it.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Point still stands.”

Now Leonard really does show a trace of a smile on his lips. “I only take orders from Aquiloli, you jerk.”

“Look for him if you love him so much, then.”

“Maybe I will.” Leonard’s smile widens as he stares at the very interesting sight behind the annoyed black-haired boy. A cry of _"Aquiloooo!"_ can be heard even fifty meters away. Leonard laughs and points behind Ferris. “Oh, what a shame. I think someone who loves him even more has showed up.”

Ferris whirls around then, looking from side to side and rather excited. “H-huh? What?” His brown eyes widen as his gaze rests on the site in the near distance. “Dude, we gotta get front row seats!”

“No need for that.” The redhead chuckles as a shout of _“Get the fuck off me!”_ echoes across the field. Ferris pouts and stomps his foot, and Leonard eyes him out of the corner of his eye. “We don't want to tip them off,” he reminds the smaller boy warningly. Ferris growls but mutters agreement anyway.

It's not like it matters much, as even from this distance Aquilo’s over the top antics are a sight to be behold. His curly-haired friend has him trapped in her embrace, smiling like the sun, strangely serene even as the blond glares and struggles in her grasp. He hisses something at her that looks like _What do you want?_

Cherry just giggles and lets go of him, innocently smiling at him and cocking her head. Aquilo springs away in an instant, blushing and staring and then glaring and coldly turning his back on her. The two begin one of their standard arguments, heatedly going back and forth, Aquilo still glowering while Cherry’s gaze grows more... challenging. Her eyes are half lidded, gaze almost sultry, and Aquilo visibly stutters and storms off in the direction of where Leonard and Ferris are.

Leonard pulls on the black-haired teens’ hand. “Come on, he’ll be embarrassed half to death if he realises we’re still here.”

“That's the whole point,” Ferris says gleefully, mischief dancing in his dark eyes.

“Yeah, no. You're coming with me now.”

“H-hey! I thought you were the one who didn't want to shower!” Ferris glares at the redhead and feebly kicks in protest before giving up and just letting the taller guy do whatever. 

Leonard rolls his eyes. “Yeah, see, I think that dumb blond has been pretty stressed lately so let's not be asses, okay?”

“Haha, fuck you. You like spying on them too. Don't even try to deny it!” Ferris crosses his arms and stares at the grass dragging under his feet crossly. 

Is Ferris for real? “Yeah, yeah, sure. I just wish he would hurry up and like, ask her out or something.” Leonard finally lets go as they reach the shower room. He rummages around, looking for his locker. Ferris does the same, hauling his bag out onto the benches. The room feels warm and steamy from the people taking baths inside, and Leonard sighs happily.

“What _is_ Aquilo doing, anyway?” Leonard wonders aloud, shoving his rucksack back into his locker. “From the looks of things you would think he's being asked to kick a puppy.”

“He’s being an idiot.” Ferris’s voice is chock full of irritation.

“...you could say that again.”

.

The small bell jingles, Jackson barely blinks and just continues flipping the page of the erotic novel he's reading. This is of course, because said customers are in the middle of a huge argument.

“I don't want to be here!”

“Come on, Quilly, you need some coffee to cheer you up!”

“Excuse me? I am perfectly fine! Get some damn glasses already!”

The brunet flicks his eyes upwards and quirks his eyebrow. “Can I help you and your girlfriend, captain?” He continues reading the lines, turning the pages over and over. This novel isn't even hot, but he's trying to disguise the smile on his face. He knows what Aquilo’s reaction will be, and he knows it will be ten times better if he feigns nonchalance.

“H-hey, you're a terrible barista! Stop reading that damn book here! And she isn't my girlfriend!” Aquilo’s voice grows quieter and quieter near the end. Jackson actually does put his book down to see him flustered and staring at the floor while his curly-haired companion rummages around in her bag.

Jackson stares at the blond, completely deadpan. “I was doing research, captain.”

“...research?”

“Yeah. You know. The things you dream of doing to Cherry at night?”

Aquilo grows quiet and extraordinarily, he seems confused. “What do I dream about?”

Jackson allows himself a nasty grin then. “You see, when two people love each other very much…”

“Gah! Fuck off!” Aquilo tosses his arms up agitatedly, and Jackson covers his smirk with his hand. If only the café wasn't so deserted at this time of day, or perhaps someone could have caught this all on film. 

Cherry’s gray eyes flick between both football players, smiling a little when she meets Jackson’s gaze. “I want a huuuuge espresso,” she chirps, literally throwing the notes at Jackson. He catches it and nods.

“I don't want anything,” Aquilo grumbles, crossing his arms and Jackson can actually hear his foot tapping the floor in agitation even from behind the counter.

“Aw, really?” Cherry hooks one arm around his, making Aquilo blush indignantly. “I offered to pay! You sure you aren't thirsty?”

Jackson rolls his eyes. “Just get him to drink from your pussy.” He spins around and leaves, heels clacking against the tiled floor. He smirks lightly when he hears _both_ of them splutter vague obscenities behind him.

.

Lynette and Leonard stare the squirming musician down, playing with his tousled red hair awkwardly. “...hi,” he mutters quietly, his gaze wavering, and okay fine, maybe this wasn't the best time, maybe this is just the slightest bit rude. Both football players are kind of sort of weirdly leaning over the school table and giving him this scrunched up look of scrutinisation while he fidgets underneath their gazes. “Do you need something?” Iggy asks hesitantly, wringing his hands together.

Now Lynette really does flatten her chest to her table and wrinkle her nose while she leans in further. “Iggy, tell us more about Aquilo and Cherry and how to make all their pining bullshit stop,” she demands with a crazed look in her eyes. It's certainly to their advantage that Iggy prefers solitude, otherwise she's pretty sure the rest of his friends would have tried to murder her ages ago.

The redhead just stares at her as though she has spontaneously grown two heads. He coughs. “Yeah. About that, I think my brother will kill me, and then kill you, and then kill that guy over there.” He nods to Leonard. “You're an accomplice now, I'm afraid.” Leonard just laughs at that. Iggy raises an eyebrow.

Lynette reaches forward to hook one arm around his shoulder. Okay, maybe she really should get off the table and just sit next to Iggy normally, but no way, that isn't a fun and cool and exciting way of interrogation, so the brunette just puts up with the slight pain of having her breasts squish against the table. “We won't tell,” she guarantees, smiling confidently.

Iggy’s fingers tap against each other nervously. “I'm pretty sure he will find out by your body language, or your actions. Something will give it away.” Iggy pauses and a sly smile spreads across his face. “All the more reason I'm going to tell you. What do you need to know?”

Leonard and Lynette exchange glances, certainly not expecting this change of attitude. They’d seen the redhead before at practices, cheering on his brother with a voice that could barely be heard even a few meters away from him. Lynette just shrugs. “Yeah, so, how do we make him get out of denial?”

“...can you be more specific?”

Lynette actually laughs at that, wondering what Aquilo has done in the past to make Iggy ask such a question. “Cherry. We don't know her well, but he's always with her and shooing her away for bullshit reasons. Can we just make him suck it up and go out with her once and for all?”

Iggy smiles softly, apologetically. “I don't think you can do that. He's kinda like that.”

“Mm, okay, I thought so. Next question,” Lynette’s smile turns into a smirk. “Any blackmail?”

Iggy’s lips curl at that. He winks at the brunette. “Well, there was this one time he punched a girl in the face because he liked her…”

Leonard bursts into laughter. “No way! What the shit?”

“We were seven and everything!” Iggy giggles at the memory. “He didn't know how to deal with a crush. So logically, he decided to send her to the ER!”

“W-what?”

“He broke her nose and it got all bloody! He got suspended for a week. It was so funny!”

They continue to split their sides laughing until they hear a certain voice speak. “You guys know my brother?” All three of them freeze, staring up into Aquilo’s blue eyes guiltily. _Only half-guilty. Never guilty._

Bewildered, the blond sits down and just starts eating his lunch, peering at them curiously. Lynette scoffs a little at that. Of course he's eating the canteen's latest treat, melted cheese in a wholemeal wrap. Aquilo stares back at her, briefly glancing down to lick the cheese off his fingers. “Uh, can I? Help you?”

Leonard tries to deflect the hit. “Dude, you're totally addicted to that stuff,” he jokes, laughing weakly. It's true. Ever since the canteen started selling it Aquilo has gotten a little starry-eyed. Lynette giggles in response.

Aquilo frowns a little, blushing slightly. “It’s not like the canteen had anything better.” He takes a bite of the snack, chewing angrily.

Iggy smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes and said eyes are a little wider than usual. Lynette shivers as she recalls her mother’s advice to beware the nice ones. “Quilly, stop doing that,” Iggy orders, though still quietly.

Aquilo stops chewing. “What?”

“We all know you like it, you dumb blond. Why do you feel the need to tell us lies like that?” Iggy leans in and his amber eyes gleam, and oh, this isn't about the food anymore, is it?

Aquilo glares at him without any real menace. “Evil redhead,” he says sourly on reflex. He bites into the wrap again.

“I still need a response,” Iggy says in a sing-song voice.

Aquilo shakes his shoulder to wrench the clingy redhead off him. “Fine, I like it, you got me.” He sighs, staring at some distant point to his side.

“ _Answer._ ” 

Aquilo smiles a little, blue eyes anxiously darting back and forth. “I, um, I. I, I don't know?” Abruptly he stands up, sending the canteen bench skidding so hard it falls on its side. Iggy himself lands on his bottom, rubbing his sides and wincing. The loud crash causes everyone in the immediate area to stare, and Lynette jumps. Aquilo coughs awkwardly and hurriedly sets the bench straight again, helping Iggy up. “Sorry,” he mutters to his twin before scurrying away.

Leonard and Lynette get off the table instantly. No way are they risking flipping it over. Iggy just shrugs as though he's been through a thousand such incidents. “He’s just awkward, I would think,” he states, waving one hand around dramatically.

Aquilo sheepishly comes crawling back. His head peeks out from below the table. “I, uh, forgot this,” he says, laughing nervously as he swipes the abandoned wrap. He waves and disappears again. Lynette can't help laughing at the sheer absurdity of the situation.

Iggy smiles affectionately. “I really wonder how many of his fans know how uncool he is in real life,” he jokes.


End file.
